Folly Farm becomes only Welsh farm park to gain Rare Breed Survival Trust approval

Folly Farm has been approved by the Rare Breed Survival Trust for their efforts and contribution to conserving rare breeds of livestock.

The Rare Breed Survival Trust (RBST) is a national charity working across the UK to safeguard the future of rare and native livestock and equine breeds. It aims to reverse the decline of all livestock breeds listed on their watchlist and to have all the breeds on the watchlist in a stable position by 2028.

The RBST Watchlist is the result of an annual census to determine the population and viability of each native breed. The watchlist is categorised into priority and at-risk breeds, giving farms guidelines on which breeds need some extra help.

Folly Farm is proud to house eight priority breeds such as the Exmoor pony and ten at risk breeds including the Saddleback pig, as well as rare and traditional Welsh breeds such as Welsh harlequin ducks, Welsh pigs, Balwen sheep and the charismatic badger faced sheep.

Farm manager, Jane Hill said: “Folly Farm has always been committed to supporting endangered species across our zoo collection, so we’re delighted that our farm is able to do the same to help preserve a variety of rare breeds, including many native Welsh breeds.

“It’s wonderful to be able to showcase these breeds to such a large number of people, educate our guests and demonstrate what these rare breeds could now be used for in a modern ever-changing world.”

Folly Farm is the only farm park in Wales to be approved by the RBST and it’s hoped that they can work collectively with other farm parks to provide a positive contribution to the preservation of rare breeds of livestock and equines.

Conservation Officer Jack Gradidge enthused “We already support several conservation charities that do amazing work on the front line in order to help save animals and habitats in the wild, and we’re delighted to add the Rare Breed Survival Trust as another partner going forward. Thanks to sales of our animal adoption packs and on-park donations, we’re able to make donations to these amazing organisations and continue conservation efforts”.

Folly Farm has recently invested into developing their farm paddocks to be more easily accessible to guests exploring this area of the park, with various pathways now available as well as lots of fun theming including Rabbit Ranch, Turkey Town, Duck Den, Chicken City and Bagot Bridge.

On Wednesday 22nd February, guests are invited to join Folly Farm for the first of their new Conservation Awareness Days (https://www.folly-farm.co.uk/.../conservation-awareness.../). Farm Day will celebrate the world of farming and provide guests with a chance to discover more about farming and rare breeds through various demonstrations and activities. The day will highlight the work of the RBST and raise vital funds for their new conservation partner.

06 Feb 2023